Sweetwater

Full review
I have a nephew who is suddenly getting into music in a big way. His recent birthday left me with a challenge. What do I buy a 20 year old who wants to be a musician? Luckily, he told me exactly what he needed. A keyboard case. A keyboard case? I had the specs but no idea where to get something like that.

A search brought up a bunch of options but the best one seemed to be Sweetwater Online Store.

Free shipping on all orders was what drew me to the site, availability and price kept me there, and great service made me a repeat customer - should the need arise for musical and electronic items.

What the Site Sells

All kinds of musical equipment, things for DJs, soundware, book and videos, computers and accessories, and many other types of electronics.

Navigating the Site

The site is clean but has a ton of links to various items, articles, and items of interest. Across the top are tabs for different areas of the site: Recording, Computer Audio, Guitar, Bass, Keyboard, Soundware, Drums, Live Sound, DJ, Books/Videos, and Accessories. There is also a search box to input exact what you want or a key word.

The search is made easier by sorting by brand, price, type, and several other criteria.

Once you find something you are interested in, you click on the photo and you will get a very full, precise description, an enlarged photo, specs, and the price. Most items ship free and will have that noted as well.

Next to each item is a box that links you to a forum to discuss the product as well as a link to email customer service and a phone number to call them.

Click to add items to your cart.

Checkout is simple. You input your shipping/billing address and email then choose from the free shipping or a number of other expedited shipping methods and costs. Next, you proceed to the payment area. Input your major credit card details and you will get a confirmation number and an email immediately. You get another email with a tracking number when the item is shipped. You can track the order on the site.

More than the ease of purchasing is all the valuable data and help features on this site. There are reviews, forums, An "Expert Center" that has articles and columns about products, and customer service is always just a call or email away.

The site has a lot of content but isn't daunting or confusing. Everything is set up well and navigation is easy.

My Experience

I knew the kind of keyboard case my nephew wanted as well as the size he needed. That was it. I did a search and many cases came up from inexpensive to very expensive. I was so lost. Luckily, their search feature allowed me to sort by price and then by type so I could hone down the type of case I needed based on these factors. I found one that was a good price (I looked elsewhere before committing) and added it to my cart.

I didn't use all the resources available to me as far as forums and articles because I would have been clueless. For those into this type of thing, these features are a definite plus.

I filled in my physical and email address along with my phone number and then input my Visa number and expiry. Within seconds, my order was complete and I had a confirmation number and an email.

I called the next day to see if the case would get to me by a certain date - something I really hadn't thought of when I bought it. Indeed, I was told that the case should arrive in plenty of time but I could upgrade shipping if I wanted. I didn't want to so I waited for my shipping email and tracked the progress of my order.

The rep was friendly and gave me a lot of information on the case I bought as well as answered a few questions I had. He was clear and easy to understand and wasn't rushed nor did he try to upsell me anything.

Indeed, the case arrived well in advance of when I needed it - in about three days after shipping by Ground Fed Ex.

The packing was great and everything was as described. My nephew loved the case and I am a very satisfied customer. The price I paid is almost $70.00 less than a local store was selling the same case for. That's a good deal!

Shipping and Returns

Ground Fed Ex shipping in the US is free for most items. Some oversized items have a shipping charge which will be clearly noted. You can opt to expedite shipping for an extra fee. All orders will have a tracking number and the usual delivery time is one to four days.

You can return anything for any reason within 30 days. If you are retuning for a refund, the cost of shipping will be deducted from your credit. You can exchange your product for another as well.

If a product is defective or otherwise unsatisfactory, they will work with you to replace the item with a satisfactory one with no charge to you.

Contact Info

Customer service can be reached at 1-800-222-4700

Sweetwater Sound, Inc.
5335 Bass Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46808

Conclusion

What a good experience I had! The site is filled with information and has a ton of variety. The prices are very good and the shipping is free. Customer service was actually available the first time I called and was very personable, knowledgeable, and friendly. My order arrived in a few days in perfect condition and there wasn't a glitch anywhere.

I only really scratched the surface of what is on the site as far as forums, columns, articles, testimonials, the used items area, and much more for the musical equipment and electronic enthusiast.

I just know I needed something and I got it for a great price and had a flawless experience.

5 stars and a thank you to Sweetwater for making what I thought was going to be a very frustrating shopping experience, flawless.